In certain circumstances, particularly situations pertaining to facility security, it is desirable to delay the passage of a person through an entrance or an exit for a small interval of time, such as for several seconds or up to a minute or so. Typically the purpose of such a delay is to give security personnel time to assess the appropriateness of the person's intent to pass through the exit or entrance. Often authorization to proceed is provided by an electronic signal to unlock the passageway. Generally such electronic signals are initiated remotely by a person in authority, such as a guard in a control room viewing a security camera, or a person who verifies the identity of the requester through a two-way audio connection. However, there are many circumstances where such entrances or exits are routine and very rarely should such a passage be denied. In such circumstances it is generally sufficient to delay the person's entrance or exit for a period of time that is sufficient to allow an authority to inhibit the exit/entry process only in the rare instance where such passage should be denied. Also there are many circumstances where such passageways are remotely located and electronic monitoring and control is impractical. Current systems often fail to efficiently meet certain requirements set by these circumstances. What are needed therefore are improved systems and methods for delaying the passage of a person through an entrance or an exit for a small interval of time.